March 26, 2016

Quick, Easy & Delicious ~ Egg & Bacon Pie from New Zealand

How often in life do you get to say that the food of my broke student days is the same I cook even now?

Not very, I should think.

But in this case, it's spot on.

Bacon and Egg Pie from New Zealand is one of those magical creations that has everything a kid in me loves - puff pastry, eggs, bacon. Way back when, we never bothered with tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Get real! We were graduate students with long days ahead with nights that were even longer and fresh green things didn't have a long prosperous life in our refrigerator! More like a black, moldy life!

So we'd just sprinkle a bit of tomato ketchup stirred around in a bowl with Worcestershire sauce and spoon little droplets all over the eggs. Puff pastry on and we'd be good to go.

Now when I make this, like I will tomorrow as part of Easter brunch spread, I'll spruce it up and make it all grown up gourmet with tomatoes and herbs. And that's crucial because the tomato and herbs, lightens up what should in fact be a heavy, sit in your tummy kind of pie and makes it quite light and refreshing.

Trust me, you really really have to give this one a go!

You'll even forget it's origins lie with the sheep shearers in the country and be convinced its from hoity toity urban restaurant where they'll charge you 15 bucks a slice. Truly!

Gather the ingredients,

1 package puff pastry, store bought with 2 sheets

9 large eggs

½ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

2 vine ripened tomatoes

8 slices, thick bacon

Fresh Parsley, 2 tbs finely chopped

Fresh basil, 2 tbs finely chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 egg, beaten for finishing

Also required in a 9” French tart pan with removable base or a pie dish.

Preheat the oven to 425 deg F.

Place a 11” x 17” baking tray in the oven to heat up while you prepare the ingredients. It will help crisp & evenly cook the base of the crust.

Bacon: Cook in a cast iron pan until brown and crispy on both sides. Set aside until cool. Crumble and set aside until ready to use.

Tomatoes: Discard woody tip and slice into thin slices

Parsley: Separate the leaves from the stem & finely chop.

Basil: Separate the leaves from the stems. Roll leaves and chiffonade into slivers.

Light flour a clean working surface and rolling pin. Roll out 1 piece of the puff pastry to fit the base and size of the tart pan or pie dish.

Sprinkle ½ the bacon and cheese over the bottom of the pie crust.

Take nine of the eggs and break them one at a time, placing directly on top of the bacon. Spread the eggs out to they are all over the pan. Take care not to break the yolks.

Scatter the remaining bacon, cheese & all the chopped herbs evenly on top of the eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper liberally.

Finish by placing thin slices of tomato on the herbs.

Roll the remaining pastry out and place over the pie. Trim into a circle if using a pie dish or use the flutes of the tart pan to trim the excess crust.

Break the remaining egg into a bowl and beat with a fork. Use a little of the beaten egg to seal the pastry top to the base by brushing the underside of the top pastry and gently pressing the top to the sides. Cut 4-5 slashes around the center of the pie.

Decorate if you’re feeling artistic with the scraps of leftover trimmed pastry. Using a pastry brush even apply the remaining egg all over the crust.

Place the pie into the pre-heated oven on the pre-heated baking tray and cook for approx. 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.

Remove the pie when cooked and allow to stand for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Cut into large wedges & serve.

Enjoy!

Recipe for

Bacon & Egg Pie from New Zealand

Shopping list:

1 package puff pastry, store bought with 2 sheets

9 large eggs

½ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

2 vine ripened tomatoes

8 slices, thick bacon

Fresh Parsley, 2 tbs finely chopped

Fresh basil, 2 tbs finely chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 egg, beaten for finishing

Also required in a 9” French tart pan with removable base or a pie dish.

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 425 deg F.

Place a 11” x 17” baking tray in the oven to heat up while you prepare the ingredients. It will help crispen the base of the crust.

Bacon: Cook in a cast iron pan until brown and crispy on both sides. Set aside until cool. Crumble and set aside until ready to use.

Tomatoes: Discard woody tip and slice into thin slices

Parsley: Separate the leaves from the stem & finely chop.

Basil: Separate the leaves from the stems. Roll leaves and chiffonade into slivers.

Method:

Pastry:

Light flour a clean working surface and rolling pin. Roll out 1 piece of the puff pastry to fit the base and size of the tart pan or pie dish.

Sprinkle ½ the bacon and cheese over the bottom of the pie crust.

Take nine of the eggs and break them one at a time, placing directly on top of the bacon. Spread the eggs out to they are all over the pan. Take care not to break the yolks.

Scatter the remaining bacon, cheese & all the chopped herbs evenly on top of the eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper liberally.

Finish by placing thin slices of tomato on the herbs.

Roll the remaining pastry out and place over the pie. Trim into a circle if using a pie dish or use the flutes of the tart pan to trim the excess crust.

Break the remaining egg into a bowl and beat with a fork.

Use a little of the beaten egg to seal the pastry top to the base by brushing the underside of the top pastry and gently pressing the top to the sides.

Cut 4-5 slashes around the center of the pie.

Decorate if you’re feeling artistic with the scraps of leftover trimmed pastry.

Using a pastry brush even apply the remaining egg all over the crust.

Place the pie into the pre-heated oven on the pre-heated baking tray and cook for approx. 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.

Remove the pie when cooked and allow to stand for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Cut into large wedges & serve.

Comments

How often in life do you get to say that the food of my broke student days is the same I cook even now?

Not very, I should think.

But in this case, it's spot on.

Bacon and Egg Pie from New Zealand is one of those magical creations that has everything a kid in me loves - puff pastry, eggs, bacon. Way back when, we never bothered with tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Get real! We were graduate students with long days ahead with nights that were even longer and fresh green things didn't have a long prosperous life in our refrigerator! More like a black, moldy life!

So we'd just sprinkle a bit of tomato ketchup stirred around in a bowl with Worcestershire sauce and spoon little droplets all over the eggs. Puff pastry on and we'd be good to go.

Now when I make this, like I will tomorrow as part of Easter brunch spread, I'll spruce it up and make it all grown up gourmet with tomatoes and herbs. And that's crucial because the tomato and herbs, lightens up what should in fact be a heavy, sit in your tummy kind of pie and makes it quite light and refreshing.

Trust me, you really really have to give this one a go!

You'll even forget it's origins lie with the sheep shearers in the country and be convinced its from hoity toity urban restaurant where they'll charge you 15 bucks a slice. Truly!